Chickpea Noodle Soup w/ Fresh Thyme

So. First things first. As some of you may have noticed in my one year blogiversary post, I kind of casually dropped the news that I’ve received my first cookbook offer. Which isn’t indicative of how I really feel about it, because internally I was going “!!!!Kajfdksajejalskdfjeiggng!!!!!”. (<— And no that is not an Icelandic volcano.) But let me start from the beginning and tell you what happened.

A few weeks ago I got an email from a smaller but reputable publishing house, asking if I had ever considered having my own cookbook. My thoughts were as follows: 1. OMG YES, and 2. So soon?! At that point, having only been blogging for less than a year, I was stunned that they had even reached out to me about a cookbook deal at all. But then I immediately remembered a post by Laura of The First Mess from almost a year ago (yeah, I’m that much of a fangirl), where she talked about her first cookbook offer and how she handled it. She had reached out to one of her mentors – Sara Forte of Sprouted Kitchen – who gave her the #realtalk about the ins and outs of cookbookery. So, of course, I emailed Laura, who wrote this incredibly detailed and thoughtful response, that addressed pretty much all of my questions. So Laura, let me start off by saying THANK YOU for being so wonderful and patient. You helped me think of things I had never even been aware of and answered all of my questions with such grace and patience. Girl, you are the best!!

But moving on to the actual cookbook. I’m in the earliest stages of discussion with the publisher, and don’t have a lot of information yet to share yet. But I would highly recommend any food blogger to read this article by Alanna of The Bojon Gourmet – she goes into the nitty-gritty of cookbook publishing, including royalties, advance payments, time frames, and negotiating. Seriously, this post is a treasure trove of information. So many things I wasn’t even aware of were addressed in this post. And I have to say, it’s really awesome of Alanna to be so open about her cookbook process, because it really is a great resource for other bloggers going through the same thing. And that’s something I aspire to do here, too – I’ll be giving regular updates of where I am in the cookbook process, to help anyone else who may be having questions about cookbook authorship. We food bloggers need to stick together!

So to summarize – I’m in discussions with a publisher, but I’m undecided as to what I’m going to do about it. I have a lot of thoughts on the matter, both ways. Obviously it’s my dream to have my own cookbook. But there’s so much that goes into it, and I want to make sure I’m in the right position in my life to be writing a cookbook. There’s also the question of whether or not I want to wait until after I’ve gotten my Master’s in Nutrition to write a cookbook. Then I can be writing with nutritional authority, you know? It’s a lot to think about. And if any of you have any ideas or opinions, I would love to hear them!! Would you be interested in seeing a Well and Full cookbook? Tell me your thoughts!!

Today’s recipe is a vegetarian (and vegan) twist on a classic, universally loved soup. And I’ll venture to say that this chickpea noodle soup is better than its omnivorous counterpart. It’s warming and comforting, perfect for a rainy day or if you’re feeling under the weather. Made with gluten-free pasta and hearty chickpeas swimming in a savory, herb-scented broth, vegetarians and omnivores alike will be clamoring for a taste.

I’m also incredibly lucky to have been able to collaborate with an amazing ceramicist for this post. As a food blogger, the first thing your readers see is how your recipes are presented, not how they taste. And finding beautiful, unique, and functional ceramics is no easy task. That’s why I was so excited to find Vilks Ceramics, an Etsy shop full of gorgeous pottery and ceramics. Katrina, the artist and owner, makes stunningly beautiful bowls, plates, utensils, and other kitchenware. If you are a food blogger looking for unique pieces that will make your blog stand out, look no further than Vilks Ceramics. Also, it’s worth mentioning that Katrina is the sweetest person to work with! :) Be sure to check her out on Instagram and Facebook, too.

Chickpea Noodle Soup w/ Fresh Thyme

Made with gluten-free pasta and hearty chickpeas swimming in a savory, herb-scented broth, vegetarians and omnivores alike will be clamoring for a taste of this chickpea noodle soup.

Prep Time10minutes

Cook Time20minutes

Total Time30minutes

Servings2-3

Ingredients

8oz. Gluten-Free PastaI used brown rice spaghetti

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2White Onionchopped

3Large Cloves Garlicfinely minced

4CupsVegetable Stock

2CupsWater

1 1/2CupsCooked Chickpeas

1TspFresh Thymefinely chopped

1TspOld Bay Seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Start by cooking your pasta according to the package directions, or until al dente. When done, rinse pasta off with cold water in a strainer and set aside.

Bring a pot to medium heat (I used the same pot as I used to cook the pasta). Add chopped onions and a glug of extra virgin olive oil, and sauté for a few minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add in minced garlic and sauté for another minute or so, until garlic is fragrant. Be careful to not let the garlic brown too much!

Add in vegetable stock, water, cooked chickpeas, thyme, and Old Bay seasoning. Let simmer for about five minutes, so the flavors can really meld.

Taste broth and add salt and pepper as desired. I added a lot of fresh-cracked black pepper, but you can do whatever you like.

When ready to serve, place spaghetti in bowls. Spoon the soup over pasta and mix in your bowl.

Enjoy!

This post was done in collaboration with Vilks Ceramics. All opinions are my own, and I think Vilks Ceramics rocks!!

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22 Comments

Hey Sarah! The soup looks so beautiful, I love that nest of noodles and the ceramics are so stunning. So exciting!! I think you’ll follow your path and make the right practical and intuitive decisions. I totally know that when your book does happen it will be just stunning and packed full of wonderful food and info, can’t wait (I can wait! you know what I mean!) xx

Sarah

I totally understand all the excitement mixed with indecision, it is no small feat writing a cookbook from the bits and pieces I’ve read from other bloggers who’ve done it. But your photos and recipes are so out of this world amazing and sophisticated I’m not surprised one bit! Like this beautiful bowl <3

Sarah

Hi Sarah! Thanks so much for sharing my link about cookbooks. I’m so glad you found it helpful – that’s exactly why I wrote it! Feel free to get in touch if you want to chat about the offer. Also, this soup looks delicious! We’re on the same chickpea pasta wavelength. Stunning ceramics and photos, too.

Sarah

May 11, 2016 at 1:44 pm

Thank YOU for writing such an amazing post, Alanna!! It was like a beacon of light for me when I got that first email from the publisher, feeling terrified because I didn’t know anything. I felt so much better getting to read about the process from someone who’s actually been there :)

Sarah

This soup looks perfect for the many rainy days I am having over here :) So cozy! Congrats on your cookbook offer, whatever you decide to do I am excited to keep following along with your journey <3 <3

Sarah

[…] I’m feeling right now (read: super overwhelmed). Right now, I’m trying to make sense of my cookbook offer, figure out my classes for the upcoming semester for my Master’s in Nutrition, and deal with […]

Oh my Old Bay Seasoning is magic, right? Such a comforting soup, Sarah! Gorgeous ceramics too.. a perfect vessel for the perfect soup. :D Congratulations to you my dear, on your offer! Yay YOU!! I was approached six months after starting Vanilla And Bean … SIX months?!!? Like whaaaaa?? I did the research, eventually read Alanna’s site among others and decided the timing was off. Additionally, it was a topic they chose and were not willing to budge on. I didn’t feel good about it, fully, and after giving much thought, I decided to pass. I’m not sure if it will ever be right for me. The thought of coming up with over 100+ new recipes in a given window of time is quite overwhelming to me. Cooking is such a process.. a process of inspiration and creativity.. I can’t imagine rushing that.. I’m not sure I’d do it.. ya know? But, that day may come.. I may somehow muster the courage at some point. Whatever decision you make, it’ll be the right one. If the timing is off now, the book will be waiting when your ready.

Sarah

May 12, 2016 at 7:43 pm

Wow sixth months!! But that’s not surprising, considering how beautiful V+B is ;) But I love what you said – the book will be waiting when I’m ready. That’s how I’m looking at it right now. And how helpful is Alanna’s post, right? I’m so glad I’m going into this being informed instead of not knowing what I’m doing at all. And that’s why I’m trying to be so open about the process on my end, to hopefully help out someone else one day! :)